Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., confronted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Thursday in a tense exchange over whether Hegseth improperly shared classified details about U.S. airstrikes against Houthi rebels.
In what was the sharpest line of questioning during a week of congressional hearings, Moulton pressed Hegseth to take ‘accountability’ if it’s confirmed he disclosed sensitive operational timing on an unclassified chat app.
‘When you texted the launch time for F-18s going into combat over enemy territory, facing anti-aircraft missiles, on an unclassified Signal chat – did that launch time come from Central Command? Yes or no?’ demanded Moulton, a Marine Corps veteran.
Hegseth declined to give a direct answer, stating that any communication from the secretary of defense is inherently classified.
‘As you know, having served yourself, any way that the secretary of defense communicates or provides information in and of itself is classified and not to be discussed,’ Hegseth responded.
Moulton pressed again for specifics: ‘So what was the classification marking of the launch time when it was sent to you? Because DoD regulations require classified information to be labeled. Was it secret or top secret?’
Hegseth sidestepped, emphasizing the mission’s outcome.
‘What’s not classified is that it was an incredibly successful mission against the Houthis,’ he said.
‘OK, so it was classified,’ Moulton replied. ‘Are you trying to say that the information was unclassified?’
‘I’m not trying to say anything,’ Hegseth said.
Moulton then accused the secretary of receiving marked classified information from Central Command and allegedly sharing it outside secure channels.
He also noted the Pentagon inspector general is expected to release a report ‘in a few days’ on the matter. ‘If the DoD inspector general finds what is pretty obvious… that the information was, in fact, classified, do you plan to take any accountability for that?’ Moulton asked.
Hegseth pushed back, stating, ‘There were no names, targets, locations, units, routes, sources, methods – no classified information.’
When pressed again on whether he would accept accountability if the report finds a breach, Hegseth added: ‘Of course. I serve at the pleasure of the president, like everybody else.’
Moulton shifted gears to question the cost of the U.S. campaign against the Houthis, citing reports suggesting the operation topped $1 billion. ‘How many U.S.-flagged commercial ships have transited the Red Sea since your so-called successful operation?’ he asked. ‘The answer is zero.’
The Pentagon IG probe, launched in April, will examine whether Hegseth improperly discussed operational plans for a U.S. offensive against the Houthis in Yemen and will also review ‘compliance with classification and records retention requirements,’ according to a memo from Inspector General Steven Stebbins.
Hegseth’s Signal messages to the president’s principal advisers, leaked when former national security advisor Mike Waltz inadvertently added the Atlantic magazine’s Jeffrey Goldberg to the chat, revealed F-18, Navy fighter aircraft, MQ-9s, drones and Tomahawks cruise missiles would be used in the strike on the Houthis.
‘1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package),’ Hegseth said in one message notifying the chat of high-level administration officials that the attack was about to kick off.
‘1345: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME – also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s)’ he added, according to the report.
‘1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package)’
‘1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier ‘Trigger Based’ targets)’
‘1536 F-18 2nd Strike Starts – also, first sea-based Tomahawks launched.’
‘MORE TO FOLLOW (per timeline)’
‘We are currently clean on OPSEC’ – that is, operational security.
Trump administration officials have long insisted that nothing classified was shared over the chat.